Episode 70
Vahlka Bullies a Goose * We meet back up at the foot of the Sunspire - it's crowded full of refugees fleeing the city. We push inside before realizing its way too crowded to actually get up to Sirius. Instead, we have Godfrey fly up and find him. Sirius begrudgingly polymorphs into a goose and comes down to talk with us. * Sirius claims he is not worried about the plague. That he thinks it spreads and kills too quickly to be weaponized. Sirius says he has not been back to Tamvrien and has little news on that front, that Crow has been coming and going and that Sirius has had difficulty getting word to the inhabitants. Last he knows the red dragon mask was still secure. * Sirius says he has no intention to participate in the combat - Vahlka is openly outraged, and Olivia is irritated. Sirius explains that the prophecy claims "the Rise of Tiamat will be heralded by the last glimmer of silver and gold" requires the skull of an ancient silver dragon and that he is the last ancient silver dragon and thus he needs to keep a low profile. He explains that the prophecy is difficult to parse cause it is very complex and much can be lost in translation. * He gives us vague pieces of the prophecy "two years, after the end of ''something ''Tiamat will rise." the moon will cover the sun, the draakhorn will be found and destroyed, two sets of chains will be broken, an heir to something will be found... There are a list of figures that are important - Three heirs: one who lives, one who inherits, and one who dies. What they are supposed to be heirs of is still being figured out. The prophecy also states that when Tiamat rises she will be destroyed with finality and something, it is unclear what, will claim her divinity and bring about the end of time. * Sirius asks "Is there anything else you want from me?" Vahlka says "Some actual fucking help." He casts a high level aid on everyone. When Vahlka asks if he can resurrect us if we die, he says he can. He casts death ward on Barkley and Deacon. * Lucius asks about Minerva, but Sirius claims he hasn't heard anything. Vahlka explains Anamelech's challenge to Sirius. He gives us two scrolls of Symbol, and tells us we should track down Sauvere and give them to him. He says he is going to stay in the tower, and that he will flee should the drow reach it. * We ask him about Tenebrous' wards but he doesn't know anything. We also ask Sirius about Godfrey's "tiefling" problem. He is clueless about it. * Sirius makes his leave. Vahlka bitches about him. We debate for a moment about what to do, Vahlka yells to get Katya's attention who informs us where Sauvere was. We talk to him briefly then spend a bunch of time setting up some Symbol spells as fortifications against the drow. * Ramseus shows up and asks for our help in dealing with a development: a camp has been set up on the western side of the city. A large force of ice devils. He asks us to go parley with them, because the refuse to treat with "dark elves". We're confused as to why, but ultimately agree. Vahlka throws a huge fear-induced tantrum but also refuses to let the party go without her. She dons a helmet and paints her armor so she's less recognizable as a Nightwarden and then when head toward the camp. * We're greeted by a fox-like imp. Who tells we're allowed into the encampment - we speak with a erinyes. After some persuasion and double talk from Godfrey and Olivia we convince her to go around the city and attack the drow directly rather than carve their way through the city. * We regroup back at the city gates. Vahlka has a nervous breakdown while Barkley has a heart to heart with her mother. Both of them sort of come clean about their various crimes... including about Obscura and her theft of Vahlka's soul from Lolth. Magpie told Barkley that she was once a notorious thief in Sri'syr. She worked for the Claws and did a great deal of deeds she is not proud of. She stole from a nobleman and got in trouble with another crime sect called the Nixum Arcanum. The Claws hid her in the small town in the Elderwoodlands to hide her from the people hunting her and that she did not tell Barkley about any of this in an attempt to protect her. Her real name is Maria Crowlantern. Barkley still refuses to go home, her mother does not entirely relent, but she says she will think about it. * Barkley comes back to the group and talks about her mom for a moment. Then the party have a very emotional conversation with Vahlka about her fear of the coming battle. They have an EMOTIONAL hug. Recording: https://youtu.be/ZD9lQnB2pAQ Chatzy Log: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F7coocI3R0teWNWReZ4de5kAO1RVQmgxUm0ySWPUpwU/edit?usp=sharing